I promessi sposi. English

by Alessandro Manzoni

  CHAPTER XIII.

  The unfortunate superintendent was at this moment painfully digestinghis miserable dinner, whilst awaiting anxiously the termination of thishurricane; he was, however, far from suspecting that its greatest furywas to be spent on himself. Some benevolent persons hastened forward toinform him of his urgent peril. The servants, drawn to the door by theuproar, beheld, in affright, the dense mass advancing. While theylistened to the friendly notice, the vanguard appeared; one hastilyinformed his master; and while he, for a moment, deliberated uponflight, another came to say there was no longer time for it; in hurryand confusion they closed and barricadoed the windows and the doors. Thehowling without increased; each corner of the house resounded with it;and in the midst of the vast and mingled noise was heard, fearfully anddistinctly, the blows of stones upon the door. "The tyrant! the tyrant!the causer of famine! we must have him, living or dead!"

  The poor man wandered from room to room in a state of insupportablealarm, commending himself to God, and beseeching his servants to befirm, and to find for him some way of escape! He ascended to the highestfloor, and, from an opening between the garret and the roof, he lookedanxiously out upon the street, and beheld it filled with the enragedpopulace; more appalled than ever, he withdrew to seek the most secureand secret hiding-place. Here, concealed, he listened intently toascertain if at any time the importunate transport of passion shouldweaken, if the tumult should in any degree subside; but his heart diedwithin him to hear the uproar continue with aggravated and savageferocity.

  Renzo at this time found himself in the thickest of the confusion, notnow carried there by the press, but by his own inclination. At the firstproposal of blood-shedding, he felt his own curdle in his veins; as tothe plundering, he was not quite certain whether it was right or wrong;but the idea of murder caused him unmixed horror. And although he wasgreatly persuaded that the vicar was the primary cause of the famine,the grand criminal, still, having, at the first movement of the crowd,heard, by chance, some expressions which indicated a willingness to makeany effort to save him, he had suddenly determined to aid such a work,and had therefore pressed near the door, which was assailed in athousand ways. Some were pounding the lock to break it in pieces; othersassisted with stakes, and chisels, and hammers; others, again, tore awaythe plastering, and beat in pieces the wall, in order to effect abreach. The rest, who were unable to get near the house, encouraged bytheir shouts those who were at the work of destruction; though,fortunately, through the eagerness with which they pressed forward, theyimpeded its progress.

  The magistrates, who were the first to have notice of the fray,despatched a messenger to ask military aid of the commander of thecastle, which was then called, from the gate, Giovia; and he forthwithdetached a troop, which arrived when the house was encompassed with thethrong, and undergoing its tremendous assault; and was therefore obligedto halt at a distance from it, and at the extremity of the crowd. Theofficer who commanded it did not know what course to pursue; at theorder to disperse and make way, the people replied by a deep andcontinued murmur, but no one moved. To fire on the crowd appeared notonly savage, but perilous, inasmuch as the most harmless might beinjured, and the most ferocious only irritated, and prepared for furthermischief; and moreover his instructions did not authorise it. To breakthe crowd, and go forward with his band to the house, would have beenthe best, if success could have been certain; but who could tell if thesoldiers could proceed united and in order? The irresolution of thecommander seemed to proceed from fear: the populace were unmoved by theappearance of the soldiers, and continued their attacks on the house. Ata little distance there stood an ill-looking, half-starved old man, who,contracting an angry countenance to a smile of diabolical complacency,brandished above his hoary head a hammer, with which he said he meant tonail the vicar to the posts of his door, alive as he was.

  "Oh, shame! shame!" exclaimed Renzo. "Shame! would you take thehangman's business out of his hand? to assassinate a Christian? How canyou expect God will give us bread, if we commit such iniquity? He willsend us his thunders, and not bread!"

  "Ah! dog! ah! traitor to the country!" cried one who had heard thesewords, turning to Renzo with the countenance of a demon. "It is aservant of the vicar's disguised like a countryman; it is a spy!" Ahundred voices were heard exclaiming, "Who is it? where is he?"--"Aservant of the vicar's--a spy--the vicar himself, escaping in thedisguise of a peasant!"--"Where is he? where is he?"

  Renzo would have shrunk into nothingness,--some of the more benevolentcontrived to help him to disappear through the crowd; but that whichpreserved him most effectually was a cry of "Make way, here comes ourhelp, make way!" which attracted the attention of the throng.

  This was a long scaling ladder, supported by a few persons who wereendeavouring to penetrate the living mass, and by which they meant togain entrance to the house. But, happily, this was not easy ofexecution; the length of the machine precluded the possibility of itsbeing carried easily through such a multitude; it came, however, just intime for Renzo, who profited by the confusion, and escaped to adistance, with the intention of making his way, as soon as he could, tothe convent, in search of Father Bonaventura.

  Suddenly a new movement began at one extremity, and diffused itselfthrough the crowd:--"Ferrer, Ferrer!" resounded from every side. Somewere surprised, some rejoiced, some were exasperated, some applauded,some affirmed, some denied, some blessed, some cursed!

  "Is he here? It is not true; it is not true. Yes, yes, long live Ferrer,he who makes bread cheap.--No, no! He is here--here in a carriage! Whydoes he come?--we don't want him.--Ferrer! long live Ferrer! the friendof the poor! he comes to take the vicar prisoner.--No, no, we wouldrevenge _ourselves_, we would fight our own battles; back, back.--Yes,yes, Ferrer! Let him come! to prison with the vicar!"

  At the extremity of the crowd, on the side opposite to that where thesoldiers were, Antonio Ferrer, the high chancellor, was approaching inhis carriage, who, probably condemning himself as the cause of thiscommotion, had come to avert at least its most terrific and irreparableeffects, to spend worthily a popularity unworthily acquired.

  In popular tumults there are always some who, from heated passion, orfanaticism, or wicked design, do what they can to push things to theworst; proposing and promoting the most barbarous counsels, andassisting to stir the fire whenever it appears to slacken. But, on theother hand, there are always those who, perhaps with equal ardour, andequal perseverance, employ their efforts for the production of contraryeffects; some led by friendship or partiality for the persons in danger,others without other impulse than that of horror of bloodshed andatrocity. The mass, then, is ever composed of a mixed assemblage, who,by indefinite gradations, hold to one or the other extreme; prompt torage or compassion, to adoration or execration, according as theoccasion presents itself for the developement of either of thesesentiments: _life_ and _death_ are the words involuntarily uttered, andwith equal facility; and he who succeeds in persuading them that such anone does not deserve to be quartered, has but little more to do, toconvince them that he ought to be carried in triumph.

  While these various interests were contending for superiority in themob, before the house of the vicar, the appearance of Antonio Ferrergave instantly a great advantage to the humane, who were manifestlyyielding to the greater strength of the ferocious and blood-thirsty. Theman himself was acceptable to the multitude, from his having previouslyfavoured their cause, and from his heroic resistance to any argumentsagainst it. Those already favourably inclined towards him were now muchmore affected by the courageous confidence of an old man, who, withoutguards or retinue, came thus to confront an angry and stormy multitude.The announcement that his purpose was to take the vicar prisoner,produced at once a wonderful effect; and the fury against that unhappyperson, which would have been aggravated by any attempt at defiance, orrefusal of concession, now, with the promise of satisfaction, and, tospeak in the Milanese fashion, with this bone in the mouth, became in adegree appeased, and gave p
lace to other opposite sentiments, whichbegan to prevail over their minds.

  The partisans of peace, having recovered breath, aided Ferrer in variousways; those who were near him, while endeavouring by their own toperpetuate the general applause, sought at the same time to keep off thecrowd, so as to open a passage for the carriage; others applauded andrepeated his words, or such as appeared appropriate to his undertakingand his peril; imposed silence on the obstinately furious, or contrivedto turn against _them_ the anger of the fickle assembly. "Who is it thatwill not say, Long live Ferrer? You don't wish bread to be cheap, then,eh? They are rogues who are not willing to receive justice at the handsof a Christian, and there are some among them who cry louder than therest, to allow the vicar to escape. To prison with the superintendent!Long live Ferrer! Make way for Ferrer!" The numbers of those who spokein this manner increasing continually, the numbers of the opposite partydiminished in proportion; so that the former, from admonishing, hadrecourse to blows, in order to silence those who were still disposed topursue the work of destruction. The menaces and threatenings of theweaker party were of no longer avail; the cause of blood had ceased topredominate, and in its place were heard only the cries of "Prison,justice, Ferrer!" The rebellious spirits were finally silenced: theremainder took possession of the door, in order to defend it from freshattacks, and also to prepare a passage for Ferrer; and some among themcalled to those within (openings were not wanting) that succour hadarrived, and that the vicar must get ready "to go quickly--toprison--hem! do you hear?"

  "Is this the Ferrer who helps in making the proclamations?" asked ourRenzo of one of his new neighbours, remembering the _vidit Ferrera_ thatthe doctor had shown him appended to the famous proclamation, and whichhe had reiterated in his ears with so great a degree of pertinacity.

  "The same, the high chancellor," replied he.

  "He is a worthy man, is he not?"

  "He is more than worthy; it is he who has lowered the price of bread,against the wishes of others in power, and now he comes to carry thevicar to prison, because he has not acted justly."

  It is unnecessary to say, that Renzo's feelings were immediatelyenlisted on the side of Ferrer. He was desirous to approach near him,but the undertaking was no easy one; however, with the decision andstrength of a mountaineer, he continued to elbow himself through thecrowd, and finally reached the side of the carriage.

  The carriage had already penetrated into the midst of the crowd, but washere suddenly stopped by one of those obstructions, the unavoidableconsequence of a journey like this. The aged Ferrer presented, now atone window of his carriage, now at the other, a countenance full ofhumility, of sweetness, and benevolence; a countenance which he hadalways kept in reserve for the day in which he should appear before DonPhilip IV.; but he was constrained to make use of it on this occasion.He spoke; but the noise and buzzing of so many voices, and the shouts ofapplause which they bestowed on him, allowed but little of his discourseto be heard. He had recourse also to gestures; now placing his fingerson his lips, to take from thence a kiss, which his enclosed handsdistributed to right and left, as if to render thanks for the favourwith which the public regarded him; then he extended them, waving themslowly beyond the window as if to entreat a little space; and now againlowering them politely, as if to request a little silence. When he hadsucceeded in obtaining, in some measure, his last request, those whowere nearest to him heard and repeated his words:--"Bread, abundance. Icome to do justice; a little space, if you please." Then, as if stifledand suffocated with the press, and the continual buzzing of so manyvoices, he threw himself back in the carriage, and with difficultydrawing a long breath, said to himself, "_Por mi vida, que degente_."[5]

  [5]: Upon my life, what a multitude.

  "Long live Ferrer; there is no occasion for fear; you are a brave man.Bread! bread!"

  "Yes, bread, bread," replied Ferrer, "in abundance! _I_ promise you, Ido," placing his hand on his heart. "Clear a passage for me," added he,then, in the loudest voice he could command; "I come to carry him toprison, to inflict on him a just punishment;" and he added, in a verylow tone, "_Si esta culpable_."[6] Then leaning forward to the coachman,he said hastily, "_Adelante, Pedro, si puedes_."[7]

  [6] If he is guilty.

  [7] Go on, Pedro, if you can.

  The coachman smiled also on the people with an affected politeness, asif he were some great personage; and, with ineffable grace, he waved thewhip slowly from right to left, as if requesting his inconvenientneighbours to retire a little on either side. "Be so kind, gentlemen,"said he, "a little space, ever so little, just enough to let us pass."

  Meanwhile the most active and officious employed themselves in preparingthe passage so politely requested. Some made the crowd retire frombefore the horses with good words, placing their hands on their breast,and pushing them gently, "There, there, a little space, gentlemen."Others pursued the same plan at the sides of the carriage, so that itmight pass on without damage to those who surrounded it; which wouldhave subjected the popularity of Antonio Ferrer to great hazard. Renzo,after having been occupied for a few moments in admiring the respectableold man, a little disturbed by vexation, overwhelmed with fatigue, butanimated by solicitude, embellished, so to speak, by the hope ofwresting a fellow-creature from the pains of death,--Renzo, I say, threwaway all idea of retreat. He resolved to assist Ferrer in every way thatlay in his power, and not to abandon him until he had accomplished hisdesigns. He united with the others to free the way, and he was certainlynot one of the least active or industrious. A passage was opened. "Comeon, come on," said a number of them to the coachman, retiring in frontof the crowd to maintain the passage clear. "_Adelante, presto, conjuicio_[8]," said his master also to him, and the carriage movedforward. In the midst of the salutes which he lavished promiscuously onthe public, Ferrer, with a smile of intelligence, bestowed particularthanks upon those whom he beheld busily employed for him; more than oneof these smiles was directed to Renzo, who, in truth, deserved themrichly, serving the high chancellor on this day with more devoted zealthan the most intrepid of his secretaries. The young mountaineer wasdelighted with his condescension, and proud of the honour of having, ashe thought, formed a friendship with Antonio Ferrer.

  [8] On, on, but be careful.

  The carriage, once in motion, continued its way with more or lessslowness, and not without being frequently brought to a full stop. Thespace to be traversed was short, but, with respect to the time itoccupied, it would have appeared interminable, even to one not governedby the holy motive of Ferrer. The people thronged around the carriage,to right and left, as dolphins around a vessel, hurried forward by atempest. The noise was more piercing and discordant than that of atempest itself. Ferrer continued to speak to the populace the wholelength of the way. "Yes, gentlemen, bread in abundance. I will conducthim to prison; he shall be punished--_si esta culpable_.[9] Yes, yes, Iwill order it so; bread shall be cheap. _Asi es._ So it shall, I mean.The king our master does not wish his faithful subjects to suffer fromhunger. _Oh, oh! guardaos._[10] Take care that we do not hurt you,gentlemen, _Pedro, adelante, con juicio._[11] Abundance! abundance! alittle space, for the love of Heaven! Bread, bread! To prison! toprison! What do you want?" demanded he of a man who had thrust himselfpartly within the window to howl at him some advice, or petition, orapplause, no matter what; but he, without having heard the question, hadbeen drawn back by another, who saw him in danger of being crushed bythe wheel. Amidst all this clamour, Ferrer at last gained the house,thanks to his kind auxiliaries.

  [9] If he is guilty.

  [10] Oh, oh! take care.

  [11] On, Pedro, but be careful.

  Those who had stationed themselves there had equally laboured to procurethe desired result, and had succeeded in dividing the crowd in two, andkeeping them back, so that between the door and the carriage thereshould be an empty space, however small. Renzo, who in acting as a scoutand a guide had arrived with the carriage, was able to find
a place,whence he could, by making a rampart of his powerful shoulders, seedistinctly all that passed.

  Ferrer breathed again on seeing the place free, and the door still shut,or, to speak more correctly, not yet open. However, the hinges werenearly torn from their fastenings, and the panels shivered in manypieces; so that an opening was made, through which it could be seen thatwhat held it together was the bolt, which, however, was almost twistedfrom its socket. Through this breach some one cried to those within toopen the door, another ran to let down the steps of the carriage, andthe old man descended from it, leaning on the arm of this benevolentperson.

  The crowd pressed forward to behold him: curiosity and general attentioncaused a moment's silence. Ferrer stopped an instant on the steps,turned towards them, and putting his hand to his heart, said, "Bread andjustice." Clothed in his toga, with head erect, and step assured, hecontinued to descend, amid the loud applause that rent the skies.

  In the mean while the people of the house had opened the door, so as topermit the entrance of so desired a guest; taking care, however, tocontract the opening to the space his body would occupy. "Quick, quick!"said he, "open, so that I may enter; and you, brave men, keep back thepeople, do not let them come behind me--for the love of Heaven! Open away for us, presently.--Eh! eh! gentlemen, one moment," said he to thepeople of the house; "softly with this door; let me pass. Oh, my ribs,take care of my ribs. Shut now--no, my gown, my gown!" It would haveremained caught within the door if Ferrer had not hastily withdrawn it.

  The doors, closed in the best manner they could be, were neverthelesssupported with bars from within. On the outside, those who hadconstituted themselves the bodyguard of Ferrer worked with theirshoulders, their arms, and their voice to keep the place empty, prayingfrom the bottom of their hearts that they would be expeditious.

  "Quick, quick!" said Ferrer, as he reached the portico, to the servantswho surrounded him, crying, "May your excellency be rewarded! Whatgoodness! Great God, what goodness!"

  "Quick, quick," repeated Ferrer, "where is this poor man?"

  The superintendent descended the stairs half led, half carried by hisdomestics, and pale as death. When he saw who had come to hisassistance, he sighed deeply, his pulse returned, and a slight colourtinged his cheek. He hastened to meet Ferrer, saying, "I am in the handsof God and your excellency; but how go hence? we are surrounded on allsides by people who desire my death."

  "_Venga con migo usted_[12], and take courage. My carriage is at thedoor; quick, quick!" He took him by the hand, and, continuing toencourage him, led him towards the door, saying in his heart, however,_Aqui esta el busilis! Dios nos valga!_[13]

  [12] Come with me.

  [13] Now for the difficult point! God help us!

  The door, opened; Ferrer appeared first; the superintendent followed,shrinking with fear, and clinging to the protecting toga, as an infantto the gown of its mother. Those who had maintained the space freeraised their hands and waved their hats; making in this manner a sort ofcloud to conceal the superintendent from the view of the people, and toenable him to enter the carriage, and place himself out of sight. Ferrerfollowed, and the carriage was closed. The people drew their ownconclusions as to what had taken place, and there arose, in consequence,a mingled sound of applauses and imprecations.

  The return of the carriage might seem to be even more difficult anddangerous; but the willingness of the public to suffer thesuperintendent to be carried to prison was sufficiently manifest; andthe friends of Ferrer had been busy in keeping the way open whilst hewas at the house, so that he could return with a little more speed thanhe went. As it advanced, the crowd, ranged on either side, closed andunited their ranks behind it.

  Ferrer, as soon as he was seated, whispered the superintendent to keephimself concealed in the bottom of the carriage, and not to let himselfbe seen, for the love of Heaven; there was, however, no need of thisadvice. It was the policy of the high chancellor, on the contrary, toattract as much of the attention of the populace as possible, and duringall this passage, as in the former, he harangued his changeable auditorywith a great quantity of sound, and very little sense; interruptinghimself continually to breathe into the ear of his invisible companion afew hurried words of Spanish. "Yes, gentlemen, bread and justice. To thecastle, to prison under my care. Thanks, thanks, a thousand thanks! No,no, he shall not escape! _Por ablanderlos._[14] It is too just, we willexamine, we will see. I wish you well. A severe punishment. _Esto lodigo por su bien._[15] A just and moderate price, and punishment tothose who oppose it. Keep off a little, I pray you. Yes, yes; I am thefriend of the people. He shall be punished; it is true; he is a villain,a rascal. _Perdone usted._[16] He shall be punished, he shall bepunished--_si esta culpable_.[17] Yes, yes; we will make the bakers dothat which is just. Long live the king! long live the good Milanese, hisfaithful subjects! _Animo estamos ya quasi afuera._"[18]

  [14] It is to coax them.

  [15] I say that for your good.

  [16] Pardon me.

  [17] If he is guilty.

  [18] Courage, we are almost out of danger.

  They had, in fact, passed through the thickest of the throng, and wererapidly advancing to a place of safety; and now Ferrer gave his lungs alittle repose, and looking forward, beheld the succours from Pisa, thoseSpanish soldiers, who had at last rendered themselves of service, bypersuading some of the people to retire to their homes, and by keepingthe passage free for the final escape. Upon the arrival of the carriage,they made room, and presented arms to the high chancellor, who bowed toright and left; and to the officer who approached the nearest to salutehim he said, accompanying his words with a wave of his hand, "_Beso austed las manos_[19]," which the officer interpreted to signify, Youhave given me much assistance!

  [19] I kiss your hands.

  He might have appropriately added, _Cedant arma togae_; but theimagination of Ferrer was not at this moment at liberty to occupy itselfwith quotations, and, moreover, they would have been addressed to thewind, as the officer did not understand Latin.

  Pedro felt his accustomed courage revive at the sight of these files ofmuskets, so respectfully raised; and recovering entirely from hisamazement, he urged on his horses, without deigning to take furthernotice of the few, who were now harmless from their numbers.

  "_Levantese, levantese, estamos afueras_[20]," said Ferrer to thesuperintendent, who, re-assured by the cessation of the tumult, therapid motion of the carriage, and these words of encouragement, drewhimself from his corner, and overwhelmed his liberator with thanks. Thelatter, after having condoled with him on account of his peril, andrejoiced at his deliverance, exclaimed, "_Ah! que dira de esto suexcelencia_[21], who is already weary of this cursed Casale, because itwill not surrender? _que dira el conde duque?_[22] who trembles if aleaf makes more noise than usual? _Que dira el rey nuestro senor?_[23]who must necessarily be informed of so great a tumult? And is it at anend? _Dios lo sabe._"[24]--"Ah, as for me, I will have nothing more todo with it," said the superintendent. "I wash my hands of it. I resignmy office into the hands of your excellency, and I will go and live in acavern on a mountain, as a hermit, far, very far from this savagepeople."

  [20] Rise, rise, we are beyond danger.

  [21] What will his excellency say to this?

  [22] What will the count duke say?

  [23] What will the king our master say?

  [24] God knows.

  "_Usted_[25] will do that which is best _por el servicio de sumajestad_," replied the high chancellor, gravely.

  [25] You--for his majesty's service.

  "His majesty does not desire my death," replied the superintendent."Yes, yes, in a cavern, in a cavern far from these cruel people."

  It is not known what became of this project, as, after conducting thepoor man in safety to his castle, our author makes no farther mention ofhim.